Contractors Will Be Needed In The Fourth Quarter

DICE NEWS UPDATE: Hiring trends for the fourth quarter… Holes in corporate cybersecurity plans… And Google Wallet’s ready to go. For some of us. All on this week’s Dice News Update.

The fourth-quarter hiring forecast for IT is better than most sectors, though it’s still slow. Robert Half Technology says 85 percent of CIOs will continue investing in projects during the quarter, which means experienced contractors will be in-demand. Just 12 percent will add staff and 6 percent plan to reduce staff. IT security and networking professionals stand the best chance of scoring a full-time job. Hospitals are hiring information management professionals. But many roles are shifting along with healthcare technology. That means you need to do your homework and proactively pitch solutions if you want to segue into the industry. Health care technology is also impacting insurers, like Humana. It’s currently looking for 100 IT professionals in Louisville, Ky. Finally, if you don’t mind cold winters, consider moving to Maine. Employers there are currently importing contractors from outside the state to fill open positions, and they expect demand for tech professionals to exceed supply for the next few years.Executives seem to be overconfident on cybersecurity. PricewaterhouseCoopers surveyed more than 9,000 of them and found that 43 percent have confidence in their security protocols, and 50 percent expect their companies to increase spending on cybersecurity. But: When asked about any precautions they’re taking to protect themselves, only 13 percent have done what PwC believes to be adequate: employ an overall security strategy, review its effectiveness, and know about past breaches. PwC notes this presents someone with “a great business opportunity.” And notes it’s “a terrible avenue for data loss and data leakage.”

Google’s launched its Google Wallet service, which allows you to make purchases with a Near Field Communications Android phone and a compatible card reader. But, for now, the service can only be used on Sprint’s Nexus S 4G phone. Besides Citi MasterCard and Google’s Prepaid Card, Google will extend Wallet support to Visa, Discover, and American Express cards. If you’ve got a Nexus S 4G, make sure you’ve updated Android to 2.3.7. You’ll find Google Wallet comes loaded up as a native app. You link it to your Google account, choose a four-digit PIN, and you’re ready to buy things – as soon as you find a participating merchant. They’re out there, but my unscientific survey this morning found they’re mostly chain stores. Still, that’s not bad. If your phone is stolen and the PIN is entered incorrectly five times, Google Wallet will be disabled. Now go forth and support the economy.